NB

Ninkasi Brewery, an Oregon-based privately-owned brewery, has started beer production at its second facility in Eugene, Oregon.

The expansion is part of Ninkasi’s growth plan, which also includes a new local distribution facility that opened in April 2013 and a new administrative building that will open in early June 2014.

The new facility was built in collaboration with ecoReal Solutions of Portland to add many sustainable features to the brewery that helped it receive leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) certifications from the US Green Building Council.

In addition to its existing 55-barrel brewhouse that can produce 90,000 barrels of beer annually, the brewery’s new facility has been deployed with 90-barrel GEA Huppmann brewhouse that will allow the brewery to initially produce 70,000 barrels with capacity to grow to 250,000 in future.

Ninkasi Brewery chief financial officer Nigel Francisco said since the beginning of Ninkasi, the company has continuously been in a state of construction with four expansions in the last seven-and-a-half years.

"Finally, we will have a space that we can grow in to for the next 10 to 15 years instead of constantly adapting our facilities to fit our needs," Francisco added.

Ninkasi Brewery founding brewer and co-founder Jamie Floyd said with two breweries operating together, they will have the space and capacity to brew more beers, like lagers, that can take anywhere from eight to twelve weeks to ferment.

"We’ll also have the capacity to brew more under our Rare and Delicious Series, exploring new beer styles and ingredients," Floyd added.

Ninkasi plans to operate both brewhouses, with its new facility expected to go fully live by May 2014.

Image: Ninkasi deployed new 90-barrel GEA Huppmann brewhouse at new facility at Eugene. Photo: courtesy of Ninkasi Brewing Company.